The New York Times (www.nytimes.com) reports that a government controlled Egyptian TV station (they all are) is producing a racist, anti-Jewish, show based on the fact that Jews have conspired to rule the world:

An Egyptian satellite television channel has begun teasers for its blockbuster Ramadan series that its producers acknowledge incorporates ideas from the infamous czarist forgery "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion." That document, a pillar of anti-Semitic hatred for about a century, appears to be gaining a new foothold in parts of the Arab world, some scholars and observers say. [...]

The "Protocols," which purports to depict Jewish leaders plotting world dominion, has long been recognized as a fabrication by the czarist secret police. It was used in early 20th-century Russia and in Nazi Germany as a pretext for persecution of Jews. Still, the show's backers say they are keeping an open mind about its authenticity. They say that in any event, reality seems to bear them out, in that Israel controls part of the Middle East. [...]

"Once it goes on television it enters everyone's living room, and that's where the danger is," said Samir Raafat, a writer and chronicler of Cairene life who is critical of the series. "You are spoon-feeding them more hate propaganda. This is not conducive to tolerance of the other or knowing the other. There's a price going to be paid."

Thank God we have peace with Egypt, can you imagine what shows they'd produce if we were at war?

CAIRO, Oct. 25 — The images flash quickly across the television screen. They show a bloody face, Victorian men and women in a drawing room, soldiers wielding rifle butts. And a man in black hat with side curls and long beard.

An Egyptian satellite television channel has begun teasers for its blockbuster Ramadan series that its producers acknowledge incorporates ideas from the infamous czarist forgery "The Protocols of the Elders of Zion." That document, a pillar of anti-Semitic hatred for about a century, appears to be gaining a new foothold in parts of the Arab world, some scholars and observers say.

The series, "Horse Without a Horseman," traces the history of the Middle East from 1855 to 1917 through the eyes of an Egyptian who fought British occupiers and the Zionist movement.

It is divided into 41 episodes and will be shown nightly through the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, which begins in about two weeks and guarantees maximum viewership because many Muslims congregate at home after breaking the daily fast.

With Egyptian state television and other Arab channels also broadcasting the series, the potential audience numbers in the tens of millions.

A historical epic with a pulpy look, judging from the commercials, the series is the first production of one-year-old Dream TV.

The channel is one of the country's first two private stations, and has a somewhat freewheeling format compared with state television. It is controlled by Ahmed Bahgat, a prominent Egyptian businessman.

The "Protocols," which purports to depict Jewish leaders plotting world dominion, has long been recognized as a fabrication by the czarist secret police. It was used in early 20th-century Russia and in Nazi Germany as a pretext for persecution of Jews. Still, the show's backers say they are keeping an open mind about its authenticity. They say that in any event, reality seems to bear them out, in that Israel controls part of the Middle East.

"In a way, don't they dominate?" said Hala Sarhan, Dream TV's vice president and feisty personality on the air. "Of course, what we read from the `Protocols,' it says it's a kind of conspiracy. They want to control; they want to dominate. I represent everybody in the street. We will see whether this happened throughout history or not."

Ms. Sarhan is quick to point out that the material about the "Protocols" is only one aspect of a sweeping television panorama. But others who have seen the entire program say that a Zionist conspiracy to control Arab lands is one of the themes running through the series.

At one point, men in the Arab anti-British resistance movement find the "Protocols" and have it translated, said a co-writer, Muhammad Baghdadi. "They discovered that many things in this document were happening in reality," Mr. Baghdadi said, "whether they were written by the Jews or not."

The underlying focus of the drama "is how the Zionist entity was planted in Palestine and in the Arab world," he said. Mr. Baghdadi said the series respected Judaism as a religion. "We only criticize the Zionist movement," he said.

Nevertheless, the program has troubled the United States as well as Israel. American Embassy officials say they raised their concerns with the Egyptian government but received a noncommittal response.

The series is closely associated with Muhammad Sobhi, a popular Egyptian screen and stage actor who is not shy about courting controversy and whose previous works have sometimes poked fun at Arabs. He co-wrote the script and plays the main character.

Mr. Sobhi declined to be interviewed, but earlier this year he told Al Jazeera television that whether or not the "Protocols" was authentic, "Zionism exists and it has controlled the world since the dawn of history."

He said that many of the book's predictions had been borne out and that it would be "stupid" not to consider the possibility that the book was true, even if the chance was "one in a million."

Commentators, like David I. Kertzer, a professor of anthropology at Brown University, have noted an increase in anti-Semitic imagery more typical of Western societies cropping up in the Arab world since the Sept. 11 attacks, along with the canard that Jews were warned of the attacks.

Michael A. Sells, a professor of comparative religion at Haverford College, said, "With each new wave of war and anger, the European-imported brand digs itself deeper into society."

Indeed, the "Protocols" lately appears to be gaining more attention in the Arab media and more space on bookshelves. Yet the extent of its impact in Egypt is questionable. Egyptian observers say that most people in this country of limited literacyhave not heard of the book, although those who have probably accept it as real.

"Once it goes on television it enters everyone's living room, and that's where the danger is," said Samir Raafat, a writer and chronicler of Cairene life who is critical of the series. "You are spoon-feeding them more hate propaganda. This is not conducive to tolerance of the other or knowing the other. There's a price going to be paid."

The "Protocols" spread through Europe in the 1920's, and has had a presence in the Middle East for decades, said Abraham H. Foxman, national director of the Anti-Defamation League of B'nai B'rith.

He said he had asked European governments and the United States to press Egypt to ban the broadcast.

Mr. Foxman and experts say anti-Semitic writings and images are on the rise in the Arab world. Some here say anger at Israeli actions against the Palestinians is being expressed in anti-Jewish terms, with the line sometimes blurred. Perhaps that is not surprising when the words Jews, Zionists and Israelis are often interchangeable in the Arab media and official discourse.

Scholars of the Islamic world, which historically has had a closeness with Judaism, say demonization on both sides is inevitable after such long conflict in the Middle East.

An Egyptian government spokesman, Nabil Osman, rejected criticism of "Horseman Without a Horse." "It's the same old gimmick, to raise the issue of anti-Semitism when it's convenient," he said. "To prejudge something you didn't see underlines some ulterior goals, which I'm not in a position to decipher."

Mr. Osman disputed that there was an increasingly anti-Jewish strain in Egyptian society. "There is a world of difference," he said, between anger at Israeli policies and anti-Semitism.

He said the program had been reviewed by the government broadcasting committee, which vets all television programs for things like pornography or the "desecration of religion." It was approved, he said.

No series whatsoever would lead to what you think as "increase of hatred' to Israeli's or zionism" you know why ?
Bec as long as you are doing your bloody actions in palestine syria and lebanon,NO ONE COULD EVER SHOW YOU UGLIER.We hate you ,WE DO ...YOu have to understand that and live with it .U have only one chance with us .....complete disarmament and PEACE . THis is your strategic choice ...for your own good...but we don't mind to continue fighting forever because we believe ,we have BELIEF ,and we know we are right.

Knock it off will you. I am an Eyptian American and people have the freedom to produce whatever they want for television. You have no right whatsoever to even make even a remark. First of all we don't bud into your business, so don't bud into ours.

What the hell are you getting into. Why don't you say and make something beneficial instead of beating around the bush. Go to your people and stop the Massacres that are going on in PALESTINE by your freaking Prime Minister Murderer Sharon.

The Orthodox Jews admit that Palestine is not their land and you know it too. Instead of discussing such frivilous matters, why don't you go to your blood sucking people and tell them to stop this UNFAIRNESS. Israelis killing Palestinians and Palestinians killing Israelis.

I am extemely fed up with this nonesense. I hate to watch TV just because of all this hatred between the two parties. I admit I am an Egyptian and I love the Palestinians. But at the sametime I don't hate all the Jews. I hate the Jews in Palestine who are causing problems and making Palestinians live in the rubble. Where is humanity. Blood is thicker than water. Why can't you realize that. Why can't you see that we have one God Allah, " Ha Shem" WHY???????

It is absolutely ridiculous and outrageous to have an ongoing bloodshed. I wouldn't want to be in the Palestinians shoes in this matter and I am sure you agree with me. How can anyone with a heart watch this misery and not cry and be full of misery, only those who are heartless.

Get real and think about those poor children who can't have a future just because of violence and violence is not the most expressive word.

WE ALL MUST PUT AN END TO THIS DISASTEROUS MATTER. WE ALL MUST STAND AND GIVE OUR OPINION AND MAKE THE PALESTINIANS AND THE JEWS HAVE PEACE TOGETHER. IF BOTH PARTIES WANT TO HAVE SOVEREIGNTY OVER THE OTHER. THEN, HEY ,SPLIT THE COUNTRY IN HALF, BUT LEAVE JERUSALUM OUT OF IT AND MAKE IT A HOLY LAND FOR ALL THREE RELIGIONS.

P L E A S E, P L E A S E, IT TEARS MY HEART APART TO SEE MY OWN PEOPLE, MUSLIMS EVEN CHRISTIANS OR JEWS TO HAVE TO SUFFER JUST BECAUSE THEY LOST A SON, A FATHER, A MOTHER , A BROTHER OR JUST ANY MEMBER OF THEIR FAMILIES OR MEMBERS IN TOWN. OR EVEN UGLIER THINGS WHICH I HEAR ABOUT, RAPING OF WOMEN IN FRONT OF THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS. THAT IS OUTRAGEOUS AND JUST MAKES ME WANT TO THROW UP AND GO PUT A KNIFE AND CUT OFF THE PENIS OF THE MAN WHO DID IT.

COME ON PEOPLE TAKE CARE OF MORE SERIOUS MATTERS, NOT SOMETHING ABOUT A TV SERIES.

BELIEVE ME IF PEOPLE DON'T STOP THIS HATRED AND DEMOLIONING THE PALISTINIAN TOWNS AND MAKING THEM HOMELESS. HOW CAN ANYONE THAT IS HUMANE COULD TOLERATE THAT.
'
I W A N T P E A C E FOR MY FELLOW BROTHERS AND SISTERS. THAT'S ALL I AM ASKING, BUT WHO COULD HEAR ME. NO ONE OBVIOUSLY.

THIS ONGOING CONFLICT WILL NEVER END AND YOU PEOPLE WILL NEVER HAVE A JEWISH STATE. THE DAY YOU WILL HAVE A JEWISH STATE, IT WILL BE THE DAY OF JUDGEMENT. SO GET OFF THE PALESTINIANS AND GET REAL. OK.

I COULD GO ON AND ON AND ON. WE COULD ONLY TALK, BUT ANYHOW NEVER HEARD. SO WHY EVEN BOTHER. I HAD TO LET MY ANGER OUT AND YES I HATE ISRAEL AS OUR EGYPTIAN SINGER SINGS AND WE ALL BOLDLY ADMIT IT. YOU ARE THE ONES WHO ARE DOING THE HARM ,NOT JUST TO THE PALISTINIANS, BUT TO THE ENTIRE WORLD.

IT'S EITHER YOU STOP WAR ON OUR PEOPLE OR THE ENTIRE MUSLIM NATIONS WILL COME AND EXTERMINATE YOU. DO YOU UNDERSTAND. YOU PEOPLE ARE PROTECTED BY AMERICA, THINKING IT IS THE SUPER POWER. BUT US, THE MUSLIM NATIONS, IF WE BECOME ONE, WHICH YOU WOULD NEVER WANT. YOU ARE ALWAYS TRYING TO KEEP US APART. BUT THE WILL OF ALLAH ALMIGHTY WILL UNITE ALL MUSLIM NATION AND WE WILL BE THE SUPER POWER OF THE WORLD AND YOUR PEOPLE WILL BE OBSELETE. NOW COME AND THREATEN ME OR EVEN TRACE WHO I AM, BUT YOU KNOW WHAT I DON'T GIVE A DAMN. YOU KNOW WHY, BECAUSE ALLAH WILL PROTECT US FROM ALL OF YOU ANIMALS.

THANKS FOR GIVING ME THIS FREEDOM OF SPEECH. I AM JUST ANGRY AND REALLY CAN NOT TOLERATE ANY OF THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING OUT THERE IN PALESTINE. THANKS AGAIN!!!

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